초록 ▼

An improved leaf spring clamp is provided, particularly for use with composite material leaf springs, to securely fix the position of the leaf spring relative to a wheel axle or other suspension system member, such as in the suspension system of a motor vehicle. The leaf spring clamp comprises a rig

An improved leaf spring clamp is provided, particularly for use with composite material leaf springs, to securely fix the position of the leaf spring relative to a wheel axle or other suspension system member, such as in the suspension system of a motor vehicle. The leaf spring clamp comprises a rigid clamp base, a resilient wedge insert, and a rigid clamp plate. The clamp base provides a bottom wall and substantially parallel side walls extending from the bottom wall to form a channel adapted to receive the wedge insert. The inner surface of at leaf one side wall of the clamp base fairs from both ends into a channel-widening concavity, preferably at the longitudinal midpoint of the channel. The wedge insert has a bottom wall and substantially parallel side walls extending from the bottom wall to a top wall and forms an inner channel adapted to laterally jacket the leaf spring. The outer surface of the wedge insert substantially fills the clamp base channel and, so, provides a convexity adapted to register with the channel-widening concavity of the clamp base. The clamp plate attaches to the clamp base to clamp the leaf spring between them under a pre-load. The clamp plate and clamp base together comprise tab-and-slot means such that they can accurately and easily be attached to each other in position to yield a preselected degree of pre-load.

대표청구항 ▼

A leaf spring clamp assembly adaped to secure a synthetic material leaf spring in position in a suspension system, which leaf spring has upper, lower and side surfaces, said leaf spring clamp assembly comprising: a rigid clamp base comprising a bottom wall and two substantially parallel side walls e

A leaf spring clamp assembly adaped to secure a synthetic material leaf spring in position in a suspension system, which leaf spring has upper, lower and side surfaces, said leaf spring clamp assembly comprising: a rigid clamp base comprising a bottom wall and two substantially parallel side walls extending from said bottom wall to form therewith a channel, wherein the inner surface of at least one said side wall fairs from each longitudinal end into a channel-widening concavity; a resilient wedge insert adapted to be positioned within said channel, comprising a wedge insert bottom wall adapted to be positioned substantially parallel to and adjacent to said clamp base bottom wall, two substantially parallel side walls, each having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a wedge insert top wall extending between said wedge insert side walls and forming therewith and with said bottom wall an inner channel adapted to have planar surface contact with said side surfaces of said leaf spring and to substantially encircle said leaf spring laterally, wherein the inner surface of each said wedge insert wall is adapted to contact said leaf spring along substantially the entire longitudinal dimension of said inner channel, and the outer surface of each said wedge insert side wall is adapted to be in substantial planar contact with the corresponding clamp base side wall to substantially fill said channel-widening concavity thereof, said wedge insert further comprising resilient support pads, one each of a first pair of said support pads being located at opposite longitudinal ends of said inner channel and having a contact surface adapted to contact and support one of said leaf spring upper surface and lower surface, and one each of a second pair of said support pads being located at opposite longitudinal ends of said inner channel and having contact surfaces adapted to contact and support the other of said leaf spring upper surface and lower surface, said contact surfaces of said first pair of support pads being offset from the inner surface of said wedge insert top wall and said contact surfaces of said second pair of support pads being offset from the inner surface of said wedge insert bottom wall; and a clamp plate adapted, together with said clamp base, to hold said leaf spring between them, wherein said clamp plate and said clamp base together comprise means for holding themselves in assembly in contact with each other to provide a preselected pre-load on said wedge insert sandwiched between them, said means comprising longitudinal flanges extending outwardly from said clamp base side walls and extending portions of said clamp plate corresponding to said flanges, each of said flanges providing one of a tab and a correspondingly positioned slot and each of said extending portions comprising the other of said tab and said correspondingly positioned slot, each said tab being adapted to be bent into said correspondingly positioned slot to overlap a periphery thereof.